Not long ago, someone wedged one of the stones between two tree trunks:
and now whenever I pass, I touch it.
Touchstone is a word with an interesting evolution. It originally meant a literal dark-colored stone used to test precious metals. Gold or silver was rubbed against it, and the resulting streak was analyzed for purity.
The word later took on a more general meaning as a criterion for determining quality or legitimacy of goods or services. Flakiness, for example, is the touchstone of a great croissant. A touchstone can also refer to a fundamental part or feature, such as the touchstone album of a particular decade.
And it seems that the meaning has morphed again, to what Urban Dictionary refers to as a person of importance, a significant other, who completes you and offers unconditional love, ie your "rock".
Then there's a cultural touchstone, which is an event or phenomenon that connects people to a certain time or place.
Or, you know, just put your hand on a stone :-)
Stay safe, stay cool, see you next week!
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